Composite character



Feb. 21, 1928.

J. F. CARROLL COMPOSITE CHARACTER Filed Aug. 2, 1926 .l. a /5 F 19% I6 DENISE VIQ MML Ti:1.E

l5 iiiilllllll lllllllilllllllll lllllllifli C E H w w Patented Feb. 21, 1928,. 1

JOSEPH F. CARROLL, or DENVER, COLORADO.

. conrosrrn CHARACTER.

Application med August 2, 1926., s ea 126,656.

My inventionrelates to and has for its purpose the provision of a composite char acter possessing certain geometrical char acteristics by which it is possible to .form

singly the several letters of thealphabet, the several single digit numerals and certain punctuation marks used in writing or print 1H0 num-erable combinations? to form letters, numerals and punctuation marks, and particularly adapted, although-not necessarily,

for use as an educational puzzle for children.

A further purpose of my invention is the provision of a composite character as aboveset forth whereinthe sections are formed hollow and with translucent front walls, thus permitting them to be. adaptedgfor use as a changeable-electric sign, and, by employing plurality of the characters. in a single group or in a plurality *of groups forming a sign in which 'suitable'means can be provided for illuminating various combinations of the sections of each character to form the desired letter, numeral or mark, and to thereby collectively produce any desired words and numbers in any order to give the elfect of continuous reading.

I will describe only two forms of composite characters embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view showing in top plan one form of composite character embodying my invention Figure 2 is. a view showing in edge elevation the composite character shown in Figure 1; i

Figure 3 is a. view showing a plurality of the composite characters in plan, and with various portions of the character darkened to illustrate the manner in which the character may be employed in the formation of letters and numerals; I

Figure 4 is a view showing in perspective a modified form of the character section,.

with a portion of the sectionbroken away to reveal the illuminating means thereof.

Referring specifically to the drawings, my invention as illustrated in-Figures 1 and 2, comprises a composite character made up of preferably It is also a purpose of. my inventionto. provide a composite character which is made up of a relatively small numberof units or. sections capable of being. associated mine of two el a plurality ofsections of wood, metalor othersuitable material, each of which is cross section in order to give them the proper "thickness to facilitate handling in the formation, of various letters,

tuation marks.

of substantially square. shape in 5 numerals and 'punc r Certain of the sections, in-

dicated at 15,'ar'ecurved, other sections 16 are of-taperedtriangular form, while the remaining sections 17 are of rectangular form. The ineetingends of. the several sections are preferably constructed to have substantially fiate ntacting engagement" with each other in order that when they are set up they will 3 form certain uninterrupted geometrical figures necessary to theproduction ofa: composite character having the property of forming any "letter of the alphabet, any. single digit numeral, and various punctuation marks. I L

As shown, in Figure 1, the several sections. are arranged to form a character consisting ellipse being common to bothfellipses so that ipses of the same dimensions ar- 1 Ia-HgGdJII SIQIG by side relation, with those. sections forming the confronting sides ofrthe it may be said that the confronting sides of the ellipses overlap. The two ellipses are intersected at points medially of their ends by a line made up of the several rectangular sections so as to divide the two ellipses into semi-ellipses.

A composite character constructed as described possesses the property of defining all of the twenty-six letters of the alphabet, all of the single digit numerals from zero to nine, and various punctuation marks, such as the period, comma, semicolon, dash, etc. The defining of the punctuation marks is thought to be obvious and in Figure 3 I have illustrated the manner in which certain letters of the alphabet and one of the single digit numerals are defined by the composite character. In the left-hand view of Figure 3, the letter C is defined. In the right-hand view the numeral 3 is defined.

The sections 15, 16 and 17 comprising the composite character have been described as formed separately, and in the adaptation of my invention as a puzzle for teaching children the lettersof the alphabet, the numerals and the punctuation marks, it will be understood that the sections can be assembled in various combinations to form any of such letters, numerals or marks, as will be obvious from a consideration of Figure 3. My invention isalso adaptable as an integral character or'puzzle in which the several'sections are formed integral with each other to produce a permanent character having the geometrical configuration of that shown in Figure 1. In this adaptation the letters, numerals and marks defined by the composite character can be individually and visually selected, and if desired, portions of the character may be colored to aid in selecting the particular letter, numeral or mark desired.

Referring now to Figure 4., I have' here shown a modified form of my invention which consists in constructing each of the character sections 15, 16 and 17 hollow and with a translucent top or front wall 18, so that when a lamp illuminated, that particular section will be visible at night, as against the invisibility of the unilluminated sections. With the sections constructed in this manner the composite character is adaptable as a changeable sign, it being understood that suitable means (not shown) may be provided for illuminating the lamps of any desired combination of the sections to form any desired letter, numeral or punctuation mark, and as the several sections of the character are capable of producing any letter of the alphabet, any single digit number and any punctuation mark, it will be manifest that by illuminating" the proper sections successively in groupsany word or group of words can be spelled, or any number displayed. In this manner it is. possible to 19 within the section is separate elements produce a change-v able illuminated sign which produces the effect of continuous reading;

It will of course be understood that my invention is also adaptable as a stencil with portions cut out to form any letter, numeral or punctuation mark and to produce any letter, etc. on a surface by painting in the usual manner.

Although I haveherein shown and described only two forms of composite charit'is to be acterslembodying my invention,

and modiunderstood that various changes fications may be made therein without de parting from the spirit of the invention,

and the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 7'

I I claim: v V

'1; Means comprising a combination of adapted to be 'diversely associated with each other to optionally prog ing the shape :of a part of a character and consisting ofa box-like body having atranslucent panel, and an illuminating device induce characters, each of said elementshavside of the box-like body adjacent its translucenltkpanel; I

2. cans comprising a combination of divers groups of similar separate elements adapted to be diversely associated with each other'to optionally produce characters, each ofsaid elements having the shape of a part of a vcharacter and consisting of a boxlike body having a translucent panel, and an illuminating device inside of the box-like body adjacent its translucent panel.

JOSEPH F. CARROLL. c 

